An unprecedented study listened to more than 3,000 consumers in Latin America between the end of April and the beginning of May, and showed, among other things, that playing and watching videos are among the uses with the greatest potential for transformational impact; users in Brazil are the ones who claim to know more about fifth-generation wireless connectivity
A new survey carried out by IDC Latin America shows that 95% of Brazilians say they have some knowledge about 5G, a result that places the country well ahead of the region's average (75%) and that demonstrates the prominence that the subject has had in Brazil recently. The data form part of LATAM Consumer Future of Connectedness Survey, a study that heard over 3,000 people across Latin America, 723 of whom were Brazilians, and which aims to understand consumers' expectations for the arrival of fifth-generation wireless connectivity. “There is a clear public perception of the impact that new technology can have on the way we consume the internet. Although only 36% of Brazilians say they know 5G well, 84% believe it will totally transform the way we consume data", explains Luciano Saboia, research and consulting manager in telecommunications at IDC Brasil, a leader in market intelligence, consulting and conferences with the Information Technology and Telecommunications industries.
Still on the potential transformational impact that technology can have on people's lives, entertainment-related activities stand out in the public's expectations. For 82% of Brazilians, 5G should totally transform the way they consume videos (streaming), while 74% agree that the technology will completely change the way they work, the same percentage that believes in the transformation of the way they buy online. Next, 72% thinks that the new technology will change the way they play and 71% the way they study. “It was a surprise to see how people envision using 5G in their daily lives, as 44% of respondents expect to use it with virtual and augmented reality applications, technologies that demand specific software and hardware. Streaming (39%), videos on social networks (38%) and games (29%) complete the list”, says Saboia.
Other relevant data brought by the survey are that only 22% of the Brazilian respondents stated that they will certainly migrate to a 5G plan in the next 12 months, while 42% are expected to migrate and the rest are unsure or will not make the switch. “Among those who are not interested in replacing the plan, the main justifications are related to their current devices, as 39% are happy with their non-tech-enabled devices and 34% have recently changed smartphones and would have to change again. For 22%, the reason for not upgrading is related to a possible additional cost”, reveals Saboia.
The IDC Brasil analyst also explains that consumers are also concerned about the security of their personal data, and this number is precisely reflected by the fact that two-thirds of Brazilian respondents (67%) say they already restrict the use of certain applications due to the traffic generated of data. “Smartphone security incidents have already impacted 15% of Brazilians and 14% of respondents from other Latin American countries. With more services and more connectivity, the trend is that this number will increase”, says Saboia.
The survey, carried out between the end of April and the beginning of May, also reveals that currently 85% of Brazilian consumers who carry out some professional activity are responsible for their own mobile plans, although 67% have work applications installed on their personal devices. Only 7% of phone plans are paid by employers and 4% by third parties (friends, family, etc.).
The LATAM Consumer Future of Connectedness Survey also has a second part, developed from interviews with 400 companies in Latin America and focused on the B2B segment. The results of this new cut will also be released shortly by IDC.
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